Electric switch



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1. 1. LAND.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

No. 561,116. Patented June 2, 1896.

WITNESSES: f) INVENTOR M/(a/rwl.

ATTORNEYS ANDREW E GRAHAM. PNOTOLITHOWASNINGTDND C r 2 SheetsSl1eet 2. F. LAND. 1

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

N01 561,116. Patented June 2, 1896.

% ATTORNEYS.

ANDREW B GRAHAM.PHOTO-LHHO WMMINQTGPLDC UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK LAND, OF SYRACUSE, NElV YORK.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,116, dated June 2, 1896.

Application filed June 19, 1895.

T aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK LAND, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in electric switches, particularly applicable for use with are electric lamps, and has for its object the production of a device which is economically manufactured, readily assembled, and particularly effective in operation; and to this end it consists, essentially, in the construction and arrangement of the component parts of the switch, all as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In describing this invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively an elevation, partly in section, and an inverted plan view of my improved switch. Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical and horizontal sections taken, respectively, on lines 3 3, Fig. 2, and 4 4, Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail sections taken, respectively, on lines 5 5 and 6 6, Fig. A. Fig. 7 is an isometric view of one of the inverted movable terminals of my switch. Fig. 8 is an isometric view of a movable connecting bar or piece provided with terminals at its extremities, and Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively isometric and edge views of the inverted movable cam of my switch.

The base A of my improved switch, which preferablysupports an are electric lamp connected thereto, is of any desirable form, size, and construction, although its upper face preferably inclines downwardly from its central portion.

B B are opposite fixed terminals secured to the lower face of the supporting-base A by suitable fastening means, as screws Z), and provided with inwardly-extending engaging portions, which preferably consist of separated arms or plates 1), arranged in close proximity to the lower face of said base. The terminals B B are also provided with pendent supports, as rods b formed of conduct- Serial No. 553,280. (No model.)

ing material and having their upper ends suitably connected to said terminals and their lower ends adapted to support an are electric lamp. It is obvious, however, that other articles may be supported by the rods Z1 and that said rods may be dispensed with, if desired.

C O are additional opposite fixed terminals secured to the lower face of the supporting-base A by suitable fastening means, as screw-threaded shanks and nuts 0. As best seen at Fig. 2, the terminal C is considerably closer to the terminal B than to the terminal B, and the terminal 0 is correspondingly closer to the terminal B. The line-wires (not illustrated) are suitably secured to the terminals C O, which are provided with engaging portions, Fig. 6, consisting, preferably, of separated arms or plates 0, alined with the corresponding plates Z) of the terminals B B, and similar separated arms or plates 0 considerably separated from the plates 0.

D D D D are movable terminals for engaging the fixed terminals B B C O, and E is a support for said movable terminals. The terminals D D are preferably of greater length than the distance between the adjacent fixed terminals B O B O in order that the terminals D D may simultaneously engage the arms or plates 1) c of the adjacent fixed terminals and electrically connect the same for passing the current to the terminals B B, whence it is conducted to the lamp or other article connected to my switch.

The terminals D D are insulated from each other and are secured by suitable fastening means d to the upper face of a reversely-rocking support E. If desired, suitable conducting-pieces (1" (P, Fig. 5, separated by combustible insulation (1 may project from the terminals D D for connecting the same when said insulation is destroyed; but as said conducting-pieces form no part of my present invention it is unnecessary to additionally describe or illustrate the same. The terminals D D engage the arms or plate 0 of the fixed terminals 0 0 when the terminals B BD D are disengaged, and although said terminals D D may be connected in any desired manner for permitting the passage of the current from one to the other I preferably form them upon the opposite extremities of a connecting bar or piece suitably secured to the lowerface of the terminal-support E.

G is an actuating-lever for controlling the movement of the terminal-support E, and H is a spring connected to said terminal-support and lever for independentlymoving the terminal-support. The lever G preferably rocks to and fro in reverse directions and is removably secured to the lower end of a sleeve f, loosely mounted on a spindle F, suitably sea wearing-sleeve c.

cured to the base A. The terminal-support, which also preferably rocks to and fro, encircles the sleeve f and is usually provided with The lever G is preferably utilized to tension the spring II and to force the same to its operative position, and the terminal-support E is restrained from movement by a suitable stop, presently described, which is automatically forced from operative position during the movement of said lever.

The spring H preferably consists of a spiral normally arranged at one side of the axis of the terminal-su iiport, and its opposite ends, which are suitably secured to the support E and lever G, extend on opposite sides of a line 1, passed through said axis at right angles with the longitudinal plane of said spring. IVhen the lever Ghas been sufficiently moved to aline the spring H with the line 2, Fig. 2, drawn through the axis of the support E, the swing II is considerably elongated, and as said spring is forced beyond said position it tends to shorten and to quickly move the terminal-support E in a direction opposite to that of the lever G. The stop for preventing movement of the terminal-s11 pport E until the spring II assumes its operative position may be of any desirable form, size, and construction; but it preferably consists of a springactuated pin or bolt I, having a reduced lower extremity movable into engagement with shoulders d d, and also movable into apertures (Z (1- Fig. 7, formed in the movable terminal D by punching out the metal to produce the shoulders d d, which preferably extend upwardly from said terminal. The shoulders d d limit the reverse movements of the terminal-support E when actuated by the spring H, and the walls of the apertures d d form stop-shoulders, which, when engaged by the reduced lower end of the pin or bolt I, prevent movement of the terminal-support in either direction. The pin or belt I is provided with a hollow barrel I, guided in a suitable socket 1 located in the base A, and a springextremity of the pin or bolt I and forcing said pin or bolt endwise. The lever G and the cam-faces j j are so relatively arranged and proportioned that the movement of said lever necessary for forcing the spring II to assume its operative position is sufficient to cause one of said cam-faces to elevate the barrel I and thereby remove the reduced lower end of the pin or bolt I from operative position, whereupon the spring His free to automatically rock the termin al-support E. During or after the movement of the terminal-support the lever G continues its movement until stopshouldersj formed upon the cam J, engage the peripheral face of the barrel I, which preferably forms a stop for limiting the movement of the lever G and the cam .I.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood upon reference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, and it will be evident that the current is alternately conducted to the terminals B B and prevented from passage thereto, that the terminal-support is prevented from move ment until the desired moment and is actuated by a quick-acting spring as soon as it is free to move, and that the actuating-lever for the switch merely disengages the terminalsupport from its stop and forces said spring to its operative position.

The-exact detail construction and arrangement of the parts of my switch maybe some what varied without departing from the spirit of my invention, and hence I do not herein specifically limit myself thereto.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric switch, the combination of pairs of opposite fixed terminals, a revcrselymovable terminal support, opposite movable terminals secured to the support and formed of greater length than the distance between the adjacent fixed terminals, for simultaneously engaging said fixed terminals, a conducting bar or piece secured to the support and provided with opposite terminals and additional fixed terminals for engaging the terminals of the conducting bar or piece, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an electric switch, the combination of pairs of opposite fixed terminals, a movable terminal-support, opposite movable terminals secured to the support and formed of greater length than the distance between the adjacent fixed terminals, for simultaneously engaging said fixed terminals, a conducting bar or piece secured to the support and provided with opposite terminals and additional fixed terminals for engaging the terminals of the conducting bar or strip, a lever movable 011 the same axis as the support, and a spring connected to the support and the lever for moving said support independently of the lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an electric switch, the combination of a supporting-base, fixed terminals secured to the base, additional fixed terminals secured to the base and provided with engaging portions separated a greater distance from the base than the engaging portions of the former terminals, a movable terminal support secured to the base, movable terminals fixed to one face of the support for contacting with the former fixed terminals, and a conducting bar or piece secured to the opposite face of the support and provided with opposite terminals for engaging the additional fixed terminals, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In an electric switch, the combination of a supporting-base, a movable terminal-support secured to the base, a stop supported by the base for preventing movement of the support, a spring for forcing the stop to operative position, a movable cam interposed between the base and the terminal-support for forcing the stop from operative position, and a lever supported at the outer face of the terminalsupport and connected to the cam for actuating the same, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In an electric switch, the combination of a supporting-base, provided with a spindle, a movable lever having a sleeve encircling the spindle, a movable terminal-support, encircling the sleeve and connected to the lever, a stop supported by the base for preventing movement of the support, a spring for forcing the stop to operative position, a cam secured to the sleeve of the movable lever for forcing the stop from operative position, and means for limiting the movement of the lever, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In an electric switch, the combination of -a supporting-base provided with a spindle,

terminals fixed to the base, a rcversely-rockin terminal-support mounted on the spindle and provided with terminals for engaging the former terminals, a reversely-rocking lever mounted on the spindle, a spring connected to the terminal-support and the lever for actuating the terminal-su1: port, a stop for preventing movcment of the terminal-support,

and a cam connected to the lever and interposed between the base and the terminal-support for forcing the stop from operative position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In an electric switch, the combination of a supporting-base provided with a terminal a movable terminal-support, a terminal secured to said support and provided with a shoulder and a perforation, a stop for engaging the shoulder and the wall of the perforation and thereby preventing movement of the support, and a movable cam for forcing said stop from operative position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In an electric switch, the combination of a terminalsupport, a stop for preventing movement of the terminal-support, a movable cam having cam-faces for moving the stop endwise and forcing the same from operative position, said cam being provided with a stopshoulder for engaging the peripheral face of the stop and limiting the movement of the cam, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. In an electric switch, the combination of a supporting-base provided with a spindle, a movable lever having a sleeve encircling the spindle, a terminal-support provided with a sleeve encircling the former sleeve, a terminal secured to the support and having stop-shoulders, a stop for alternately engaging the shoulders, a movable cam secured to the first sleeve and provided with stop-shoulders and opposite cam-faces for alternately forcing the stop from operative position, and means for engaging the stop-shoulders of the cam and limiting its movement, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 5th day of June, 1895.

FRANK LAND. lVitnesses E. A. WnisB'URc, K. H. THEOBALD. 

